Sports

(Cricinfo) It’s a golden age for fast bowling in Test cricket and Lungi Ngidi is loving it.

Kyrie Irving came alive in the fourth quarter when he scored 14 of his 18 points as the Brooklyn Nets fended off a comeback attempt by the Milwaukee Bucks and extended the NBA’s longest active winning streak to eight games with a 118-100 victory on Friday night in New York.

(Reuters) – Former captain Shahid Afridi has been appointed interim chair of Pakistan’s men’s national selection committee, the country’s cricket board (PCB) announced yesterday.

(Reuters) – The second test between Pakistan and New Zealand next month has been moved from Multan to Karachi due to “deteriorating” weather conditions, the Pakistan cricket board (PCB) said yesterday.

(Reuters) – Ahead of his 100th test for Australia in a Boxing Day match against South Africa in Melbourne, David Warner vowed to keep fighting despite having his back “up against the wall” after his recent struggles in the longest format.

Local hero Scott Boland has retained his place in the Australia XI for Boxing Day with an ‘underdone’ Josh Hazlewood to miss another Test as he continues his recovery from a side strain.

Brett Maher kicked a go-ahead, 48-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining to lift the host Dallas Cowboys to a 40-34 win over the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday.

(Reuters) – Manchester United have triggered one-year contract extensions for four first-team players, including England forward Marcus Rashford, manager Erik ten Hag said.

BRISTOL, CMC – Bermuda captain Nahki Wells said he was delighted after signing a new two-year contract extension to remain at second-tier English Championship club, Bristol City until 2025.

(Reuters) – The World Cup final ended nearly a week ago but the drama around it continued as the match referee showed a photo on his phone during a news conference to respond to claims that Lionel Messi’s extra-time goal should not have stood.

DHAKA, (Reuters) – India suffered a top order meltdown chasing a small victory target of 145 after spinner Mehidy Hasan struck triple blows to keep alive Bangladesh’s hopes of a series-levelling victory in the dramatic second test yesterday.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Next year’s West Indies Championship will again be contested over five rounds, starting February 1, and only Antigua, Grenada, and Trinidad will stage matches, Cricket West Indies announced yesterday.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, CMC – Dominic Drakes was the only West Indian player to take part in the final of the Lanka Premier League, but he failed to make an impact for the Colombo Stars, and Jaffna Kings won the title by two wickets yesterday.

Sam Curran broke Chris Morris’ record (INR 16.25 crore) to become the most expensive buy at an IPL auction, when Punjab Kings outbid five other teams to sign him for INR 18.50 crore (USD 2.25 million approximately).

Pascal Siakam scored a career-high 52 points Wednesday night and sank the go-ahead free throw with 2:01 left for the visiting Toronto Raptors, who snapped a six-game losing streak and ended the New York Knicks’ winning streak with a 113-106 victory.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies Women ended the year on a low note when their batting spectacularly collapsed, and England Women won by a convincing eight wickets on Thursday to sweep their Twenty20 International series.

MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – Greater Manchester Police are investigating several incidents of crowd trouble during Manchester City’s League Cup clash with Liverpool on Thursday night, including one that led to a 15-year-old girl being treated for head injuries.

DHAKA, (Reuters) – Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer combined in a rollicking 159-run partnership to help India wrest back control of the second test against Bangladesh yesterday.

(Reuters) – Veteran bowler Stuart Broad is back in the England squad for the two-test series in New Zealand in February, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced yesterday, but rising star Rehan Ahmed has not been included in the touring party.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Barbados-born former England batsman Roland Butcher has been appointed the newest member of West Indies men’s senior and youth selection panels.